Alkali Pretreatment of Wheat Straw (Triticum aestivum) at Boiling Temperature for Producing a Bioethanol Precursor

Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), a potential biomass candidate for bioethanol: cell wall structural changes enhancing hydrolysis in a mild alkali pretreatment regime

“…This was because the higher concentrations (15, 20, and 25 g L −1 NaOH) led to a greater removal of the hemicellulose and lignin content in these samples, while the water treatment was not sufficient to remove the surface waxy coat with other lignocellulosic compounds. We previously reported that increased CrI might be caused by the degradation and removal of amorphous components, such as lignin and hemicellulose . Therefore, the increased CrI of NaOH‐treated Imperata suggested that cellulose became more exposed.…”

“…The micro structural changes and surface characteristics of control and varying concentrations of NaOH‐treated Imperata samples were analysed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The FE‐SEM and AFM procedures were adapted from the procedures previously described by Haque et al and Barman et al …”

“…The structural constituents and chemical changes of Imperata samples were analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) according to methods previously described by Haque et al and Barman et al …”

“…The cellulose crystallinity of untreated and pretreated Imperata samples was analysed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) using a powder X‐ray diffractometer according to methods previously described by Haque et al and Barman et al …”

“…Under mild alkali conditions, the optimal pretreatment temperature may be lower than 121 °C, offering potential power and cost savings in an industrial process . Recently, it was reported that mild alkali cooking is an effective lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment method that improves enzymatic hydrolysis . However, to date, no study has reported structural changes or enzymatic hydrolysis of Imperata in mild alkali cooking.…”